1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to visible file pocket support panels and, more particularly, to improved visible file pocket support panels of the type commonly, but by no means exclusively, used in hospitals, clinics, medical offices and similar health care provider facilities wherein a plurality of individual patient records or cards are maintained and continuously updated, often on a daily or even shorter periodic basis, by the health care provider or by one or more staff members, and wherein those persons utilizing such files require that at least an identifying portion of each individual document file be immediately visible at a glance so that he or she can quickly turn to the particular document file of interest for purposes of reviewing and/or updating the same. Such files have long been known and used not only in health care facilities, but for numerous other purposes including inventory control and the like; and, many different types of visible document files are available. This invention relates particularly to a lightweight, compact, portable visible file pocket support panel formed of only two essential basic components which can be readily assembled to form a support panel capable of holding any desired number of visible file pockets in a flat, overlapped, compact array with freedom for pivotal movement about individual hinge axes for each different file pocket and wherein the pocket tips--i.e., that portion of the file pocket turned back upon the main central pocket part intended to receive and confine one edge of the particular document(s) being displayed in the file pocket--adjacent the hinge axes lie in a common plane without being overlapped or stacked one upon the other, while the pocket tips remote from the hinge axes, although overlapped to an extent sufficient to preclude interference between adjacent file pockets, are readily and immediately visible at all times to permit display of identifying indicia for each of the file pockets carried on the support panel. The simple, compact configuration of the file pocket support panel permits of relative ease of insertion and/or removal of individual file pockets of the type more fully disclosed in the aforesaid related copending application, Ser. No. 461,537, filed Jan. 27, 1983; while, at the same time, effectively precluding accidental dislodgement, separation and/or loss of the particular file document(s) supported by each different file pocket.
2. Background Art
During the past several decades, many different types of record keeping systems have been devised and specifically tailored for the particular industry involved and/or the type(s) of file data being recorded and/or maintained. In some instances, the data card(s), hereinafter generically referred to as "document(s)", are intended for inventory management or control; and, in other instances, the documents commonly comprise patient records or the like maintained by such health care provisioners as hospitals, clinics, medical offices, and the like; to name but a few of the different industrial and/or business environments where such records are maintained. However, despite the specific nature and content of the business document itself and/or the particular industry/business environment involved, one problem that has commonly been encountered has involved record keeping systems wherein the particular business documents involved can be safely stored in such a manner that: (i) each document is readily accessible so that authorized personnel having custody thereof and/or access thereto can review the same and/or make suitable entries thereon, all on a periodic and ofttime frequent basis--e.g., in a hospital it is often necessary to record a patient's vital signs on a shift, hourly, or even more frequent, basis; (ii) each document may be conveniently inserted into, removed from, and/or replaced in its applicable file pocket; (iii) each document is confined and protected such that it is not likely to be lost or misplaced; (iv) all documents can be compactly stored in a minimum amount of storage space; (v) equally sized documents can be mounted on the front and back faces of each file pocket; and (vi), perhaps of most importance, identifying indicia for each different document file pocket is visibly exposed at all times so that a specific document and/or category of documents can be located at a glance and easily retrieved or exposed when, for example, an interested party wishes to review and/or update a particular document (such as a given patient record in the case of a health care provisioner). Thus, despite the wide differences in the types of documentary data maintained, in virtually all cases there have been many common requirements and/or desideratum in terms of document storage, access and/or retrieval.
Generally, such requirements and/or desideratum have been satisfied (to the extent possible) by providing individual file pockets formed from a wide range of materials and capable of storing and displaying one or more documents on each face of the file pocket; and, by providing each file pocket with hinge means disposed along one edge of the pocket whereby the pocket and whatever document(s) is (are) carried thereon can be removably and pivotally mounted in a generally flat document tray in staggered, partly overlapping, relation such that the bottom edges of all file pockets are fully exposed and available for the application of appropriate file identifying indicia, thereby enabling any particular file of interest to be located at a glance and all superimposed file pockets pivoted upwardly and backwardly about their hinged connections to the tray so as to fully expose the file pocket and stored document(s) of interest. Those skilled in the art will, of course, appreciate that the term "file pocket" as used herein is intended to mean a generally rectangular sheet-like support element normally having a hinge element formed along and/or attached to one horizontal edge and means for captively retaining one or more documents on at least one face, and generally both faces, of the rectangular sheet-like support element. The particular means for captively retaining documents have varied widely; but, one common practice has been to employ some means defining a pocket tip along one horizontal edge of the support element and on both the front and back faces thereof wherein the pocket tip cooperates with the support element to form front and/or back horizontally extending cavities adapted to receive and compressibly or yieldably retain the particular document(s) of interest.
One of the more popular conventional file pockets which has been extensively used for many years comprises a main support element generally formed from paper, paperboard, or a thin sheet of plastic such, for example, as celluloid. Commonly, an upper stiffening member, which also serves as a hinge, is stapled or otherwise affixed to one edge of the support element with the stiffening member projecting laterally beyond the side edges of the support element to permit the file pocket to be hingedly mounted in a tray. A second stiffening member, generally in the form of a U-shaped pocket tip-defining element commonly formed of celluloid or the like, is typically mounted in surrounding relation to the opposite or lower edge of the support element and retained in place by means of staples or the like. Commonly, the support element itself is provided with a plurality of generally parallel die cut diagonal slots disposed in a rectilinear pattern to permit the corners of file documents to be inserted through such slots so as to permit captive retention of at least one edge of the document on the support element. That is, a given document will commonly have one edge inserted into the pocket tip-defining means along one edge of the support element with the two corners of the document remote from that edge then being inserted into the appropriate diagonal die cut slots formed in the support element. A plurality of such file pockets have conventionally been hingedly mounted in suitable document tray.
While the foregoing approach has provided a very convenient and popular way to maintain file documents, certain drawbacks have nonetheless been encountered. Thus, a significant problem resides in the conventional use of paper or paperboard as a principal construction material for the support element itself. In such cases, repeated use of the file pocket causes frequent need to replace such pockets due to failure of the support element, particularly at or near the weakened hinge line. The use of staples and similar separate fasteners to secure the components together into a file pocket assembly invariably necessitates die cutting the documents themselves to provide a slot therein so that the edges of documents can bridge the locations of the staples. The use of an array of diagonal slots to receive corners of documents produces numerous weakened areas in the main body of the support element which are subject to tearing and fatigue damage; and, in the case of smaller documents precludes support of two identically sized documents on both faces thereof since the first document disposed within a given series of diagonal slots obstructs the same and prevents use of the same slots for retention of documents on the opposite face. Nevertheless, despite the foregoing disadvantages, such composite paperboard/plastic file pockets have, prior to the advent of the present invention, continued to be the most commonly accepted form of visible document storage/retrieval system used in industry and/or business today notwithstanding numerous efforts that have been made to modify that approach.
One such attempt to provide an improved file pocket has involved the use of a sheet-like plastic support element which has its lower edge turned upwardly upon itself to form a pocket tip on the front face of the support element; and, wherein the main support element is provided with two or more inverted U-shaped slits in the region thereof underlying the upturned pocket tip so as to define tabs therein which can be projected out of the plane of the support element in a direction opposite to the upturned pocket tip so as to define a second discontinuous pocket tip on the opposite or rear face of the support element. While this approach generally avoids the disadvantages inherent with the former type of file pocket resulting from the use of staples and similar fastening elements, many disadvantages are still presented. Thus, the upturned pocket tip formed on one side of the support element and the discontinuous pocket tip formed on the opposite side of the support element are not symmetrical and still tend to preclude receipt and storage of identically sized documents on both sides of the support element. Dependent upon the position and configuration of the slits and folds employed to form the discontinuous pocket tip, individual file documents often still require die cuts in the regions of pocket tip discontinuity. Moreover, this type of file pocket has not satisfactorily resolved the need for a particular pocket tip configuration which compressibly and yieldably retains documents captive therein.
Accordingly, the need continues to exist: (i) for an improved file pocket construction which is capable of accommodating identically sized documents on each face of the file pocket and wherein one or more of such documents are firmly and positively retained, compressibly and yieldably, in captive relationship within the pocket tips so as to prevent accidental dislodgement of documents and consequent loss and/or damage thereto; and (ii), for a file pocket support panel capable of hingedly storing a plurality of such file pockets, yet which is characterized by its portability. The present invention is particularly concerned with the latter need; and, those interested in ascertaining details related to an invention concerned with the former need are referred to the aforesaid related copending application, Ser. No. 461,537, filed Jan. 27, 1983.